TROY -- As the cool morning gave way to perfectly mild late-spring weather, musicians, craft vendors, and the nearby Farmer's Market provided an ideal setting for Troy's River Street Festival Saturday.

"Well, if you look, there's isn't a cloud in the sky here today," said Elizabeth Young, the executive director of the Downtown Troy BID, the festival's primary organizer. "We lucked out here for the 10th Annual River Street Festival."

Young and her busy staff were everywhere at the festival Saturday morning in what appeared to be a controlled chaos; all effort toward transforming River Street into an all-in-one open-air bazaar, food court and entertainment mecca.

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The result was a flawless combination of street art, local delicacies, area performers, magicians, musicians, and local shop owners plying their wares on the historic streets of downtown.

As early as Friday morning, Young and her staff could be seen on the streets downtown, marking out spaces for merchants to erect tents and stalls.

"We have lots of great vendors, lots of activities for the kids," she said. "Really it's just a wonderful day to come in and enjoy Downtown Troy."

Three stages of entertainment ranged from well-known locals to children's performers.

Highlights of the festival included performances by Jacomo, a band known for packing local clubs with its funky live shows.

Stephanie Coppa, a Troy resident, walked through the bustling festival streets early Saturday and shared her view on the city's renaissance.

"I think Troy has a better sense of community than Albany does, to be honest," Coppa said. "I think there's a lot more support for local businesses and for events like this. There's just way more of a community atmosphere than you get elsewhere."

Nearby stores also shared in the festival spirit.

The Botanic Studio, a tiny, verdant, nearly indescribable world of translucent terrarium art, rare stones, exotic scented candles and carefully curated decorative objects for the home, was filled with browsers and buyers.

"I got here at 6:30 this morning," said Dawn Gagne, owner and proprietor. "And I was here until 10 o'clock last night."

Businesses along River Street weren't the only locals benefiting from the Festival's draw.

Lines formed at the counter of X's and O's, a nearby vegan bakery and food purveyor at 97 4th Street.

Back on River Street, a vacant lot between two buildings along the Hudson served as a makeshift corral for pony rides.

Ponies for Hire, an organization out of Knox, offered children rides on a pair of handsome ponies; Ginger, 24 years old and Jenny, 21.

Brian Barker, an architect with the Troy-based firm Architecture Plus, took over a small section of River Street's sidewalk with his three children, part of a 'street art' initiative sponsored by the Arts Center of the Capital Region.

The local arts organization had a table and a booth, handing out chalk to anyone wanting to try their hand at street art.

"We're a proud sponsor of the Arts Center of the Capital Region," Barker said. "We're here making some art on the streets trying to encourage city life in Troy. It's a great place to live and work, and have a good time."

Charles Sweeney may be reached at 270-1291.

Editor's Note: The three short videos, called Touts, were captured by The Record's Chief Photographer, Mike McMahon.